A nearly 10-mile-long stretch of red tide was found on Monday in New York Harbor, according to Coast Guard Officials. They are warning swimmers and boaters to avoid contact with the potentially harmful algae. Another patch of reddish sheen was reported about three miles south of Jones Beach Inlet, the Coast Guard said.
The outbreak — which shows up as a reddish-brown sheen — was reported around 7 a.m. and confirmed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Conservation, the Coast Guard said in a release. DEC representatives didn’t immediately respond to telephone and e-mail messages on the Labor Day holiday.
Red tide is caused by naturally occurring microorganisms that produce a toxin. It can make shellfish unsafe to eat and cause temporary breathing trouble, burning eyes and skin irritation in people. Sometimes, it also ends up killing fish by depleting oxygen in the water.
advertisement
The phenomenon occurs at times in many coastal waters, especially when seas are warm.The swath of red tide stretches from about the site of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum off Manhattan to Hoffman Island, off Staten Island.
The algae should drift out to sea and disperse, according to the Coast Guard. Until then, “stay away from it and anything in it,” spokesman Charles W. Rowe said. Authorities recommend thoroughly washing anything that comes into contact with it.
With AP
